


Linden Café

by KiraHeartilly



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:41:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25041841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KiraHeartilly/pseuds/KiraHeartilly
Summary: Young Naota Yamaguchi has always had the strange ability to communicate with Pokémon. This is the story of Naota's adventures working at the Linden Café in the Laegun Region.
Relationships: OC/OC
Comments: 5
Kudos: 3





	1. Applin

**Author's Note:**

> This story draws from both the games and the anime.  
> Loosely inspired by Pokémon Café Mix.  
> Loosely.  
> I might update, I might not.  
> It depends on how I feel and if I ever have any other ideas.  
> Also depends on if I have time, I have other stories I am working on.  
> Rated T for potential future chapters.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young trainer is about to begin his Pokémon journey.

**Chapter 1**

**Applin**

“Are you sure you want to work today?” asked a woman in an apron. “I can manage on my own.” She had dark skin and curly black hair. Her face was serious yet comforting. She wore a nametag that read: Ava She/Her.

Naota shook his head. “I’m fine.” He was short and had light skin.

“But isn’t today-?”

“Don’t worry, Ms. Linden,” Naota assured her, “I’m fine.”

In this world, some people are so gullible, you could tell them “Hey, I just saw a Mew hiding underneath a truck out by the docks,” and they’d run off to go look; they wouldn’t even stop for a second to consider you might be lying. Not even these people would be fooled by Naota’s lie right now.

His hands trembled as he fumbled with the straps for his apron, putting it on over his red long sleeve shirt. He adjusted his nametag, reading Naota: He/Him. He had another, reading ‘Naota She/Her,’ but he didn’t need it right now. He pulled his cap on over his head of brown hair, perhaps a little too tight seeing as he covered his eyes and couldn’t see. He quickly fixed that and forced on a smile. “Shinx,” he reached for the two Poké Balls on his waist, “Espurr, come on out you two!”

In flashes of light, out popped a Shinx and an Espurr. They looked around in confusion for a moment, Espurr’s eyes in particular big and wide, surprised to be in the café today, but they quickly adjusted. Shinx put on a bright smile. Espurr continued to look confused but really, that was just an Espurr’s natural state.

Bending over to pat his partners on the head, Naota said, “Let’s try our hardest today.”

Ava looked over Naota with a sympathetic smile. “If you’re sure you’re okay with this. But remember. You’re only fifteen. You don’t need to sink into the pitfalls of capitalism just yet. There’s still time to enjoy your youth.”

“Shinx!”

“Es~purr!”

The two Pokémon cheerfully darted behind the counter and pulled out two aprons of their own. Espurr had to help Shinx get dressed, since she could manage to hold the fabric straps but her friend couldn’t. Together grabbed their café hats and joined Naota at his side.

“Come on out Roserade!” Cried Ava. In a flash of light out came a green humanoid plant, with black and purple roses for hands. With an elegant grin on her face, she got dressed for the day’s work.

This was the Linden Café, run by Ava Linden, daughter of the Laegun Region’s very own Professor Linden. It was a large café built of wood, with mahogany tables and paintings hanging on the wall. Visitors from all over flocked here for their delicious drinks and scrumptious food.

Every morning, humans and Pokémon worked together to make their food. Cracking some eggs and pouring some flour into a bowl, Naota gathered together the ingredients for a tasty cake and stuck it into the oven. Espurr and Shinx worked together to bake a Rowlet themed pizza, using all sorts of fresh herbs for flavor. Ava herself worked on making sandwiches, bursting with sweet and savory flavors. Roserade focused on making coffee and tea.

A TV mounted on the wall reported the local news. “It seems that residents of Bornehart are still dealing with a series of mild disturbances. Citizens are reporting that trash cans are being turned over and mail is being scattered everywhere. So far, no serious damage has occurred and people believe the culprit is likely a mischievous group of children or Pokémon. People are asked to be on the lookout for any suspicious behavior.”

Roserade pulled a pie out of the oven, the scent of apples and cinnamon filled the café. Ava opened the front door, flipping open the sign from closed to open. Naota wiped the sweat from his brow as he prepared for the customers to come. Shinx, Espurr, and Roserade stood proudly by the door, welcoming the folks that entered.

“I’ll have a Rowlett pizza please.”

“Can I get an order of Combee Waffles drizzled with honey?”

“Can I get a Lilligant Tea, please?”

Naota poured the tea into an elegant glass cup and handed it over to the customer, who quickly paid with a smile. The customer sat down at an empty table and sipped his tea slowly. Other customers let their Pokémon out of their Poké Balls to share some food. A young woman offered bites of her waffles to her Rockruff while another shared her pizza with an Abra.

A young boy of about fourteen or so trudged up to the counter. He had a sullen look on his face as he reached for his wallet. “I’ll take a Pikachu Curry with a side of Appletun Pie.” Naota quickly served the order. He watched the young trainer take a seat in the corner, next to a potted plant and window.

The trainer released the four Pokémon in his party, a Machoke, Electabuzz, Raboot, and a Lairon. The trainer scooped some curry into his mouth slowly, giving his Pokémon the chance to eat some. Portions here were big, as trainers often shared with their partners. Electabuzz, Raboot, and Lairon hungrily dug into the curry, but Machoke gazed out at the grass swaying in the wind.

Bird Pokémon frolicked outside, playing. There were Rookidee, Pidgey, Murkrow, and more searching for food in the grass or picking berries from trees. “Something wrong Machoke?” the trainer asked.

“Ma-Machoke.”

Machoke pouted and her trainer both frowned. “Aren’t you hungry Machoke? You need to eat to keep your strength up.” The young boy offered a spoonful of curry to his partner. Machoke didn’t refuse the curry but she did chew slowly as her trainer watched on. “Are you feeling okay? Maybe we should go to a Pokémon Center.”

With no line to tend to, Naota stepped forward. “Excuse me? I’m pretty good with talking to Pokémon. Perhaps I could figure out what’s wrong.”

“Thanks,” said the boy. “My name is Michael.”

Turning to Michael’s Machoke, Naota asked, “Hey there. Michael’s a little worried about you since you don’t seem to be hungry. Are you not feeling well?” Machoke muttered a few words in poké-speak, and Naota turned to the trainer. “You’re here to challenge the Gym Leader right? But he’s busy.”

“Yeah you’re right. Wow, you really can communicate with Pokémon,” Michael said in amazement. “We got here this morning hoping to take on the Bornehart Gym, but the sign said the leader will be out the whole day. I was just going to see the sights and try again tomorrow.”

Like many regions, Laegun had a Gym system. Win 8 badges from the various gyms and you could enter the Soulton Conference, held yearly in Soulton City. Many trainers competed, but only one won each year, earning the chance to challenge the Elite 4 and the Champion.

“The Gym Leader here is a Flying type and Machoke is worried because she’s weak to Flying types. She feels like she’s letting you down because she can’t help. She’s really nervous about the whole thing and was hoping to get the Gym match over and done with. But now that you have to wait an extra day, she can’t think about anything else.”

“Is that true?” asked Michael. The Machoke nodded. “Aww, Machoke, don’t worry about it. You’ve gotten me this far. We’re all a team and we need to work together. Even if you don’t participate in this match, I still appreciate you for everything that you’ve done. We’d never have beaten the last Gym without you.”

This made Machoke smile, and she eagerly grabbed a spoon to try some more of the curry.

“Wow, you really are something special,” Michael chuckled. “Still I wonder why the Gym Leader is busy? Guess he just has stuff to do today.”

“His son is setting off on a Pokémon journey today,” said Ava, joining the duo. “So he’s taking the day off to say goodbye. He probably won’t need the full day, so if you stop by later he might be back early.”

Michael and his Pokémon finished their curry. “That must be exciting. I wonder if I’ll run into him on my journey. I wonder how good a Gym Leader’s kid really is.” Stretching his arms he grinned brightly, imagining his team in a fierce battle.

“He’s a frequent customer of the café, so if you stick around a while you might see him,” said Ava. She chuckled to herself as she returned to the counter to prepare a new batch of sweets.

Frowning, Naota made himself a cup of iced tea to soothe his dry throat and to focus his wandering mind. He poured some milk into a saucer for Shinx and smiled as she happily lapped it up. Espurr preferred the Eevee Lattes, so she helped prepare one for herself, sipping it slowly to not burn her tongue. Free snacks and drinks were one of his favorite perks of working here.

The bell on the front door jingled and Ava and Naota turned in time to see it slam shut. “Must have been the wind,” Ava muttered to herself. She returned to her work, whistling to herself as the customers happily enjoyed their treats.

Loud fanfare caught everyone’s attention. Visitors turned their attention to the television as two young women appeared on the screen, facing each other with grins of determination. “Mega sensation pop singer and Elite 4 member Hazuki made an appearance in public today, battling the visiting Elite 4 member Lorelai of the Kanto region in a spectacular exhibition match at Neveah Stadium. Both women went head to head with their Pokémon giving it their all, but in the end it was a draw as their Pokémon managed to knock each other out.” The screen showed various scenes of a fierce battle between an icy blue Alolan Sandslash and a Primarina, ending with both Pokémon unconscious on the ground.

“Huh? Where’s the tip jar?” She looked around, behind the counter, underneath it, and all around the register; it was missing. “Naota have you seen it?”

“No,” he shook his head. “You don’t think someone could have stolen it in broad daylight do you?” He crossed his arms. “They’d have to be incredibly brave.”

“Lai~ron!” Michael’s Pokémon called out to Naota. “Lai-lairon!”

“What’s Lairon saying, Naota?” Ava turned to him.

Crossing his arms, Naota furrowed his brow. “Apparently our thief is a Pokémon. Lairon says an Applin snuck in when we weren’t looking and stole the tip jar. It must have happened while we were all distracted by the report on Hazuki’s battle with Lorelai. Should one of us go chase after it?”

“It wasn’t much money so it isn’t like it would be a huge loss. I can pay you extra to compensate if we can’t recover the tip jar, but I’m more curious as to why an Applin would do something like that. Naota, take Espurr and Shinx and see if you can find the Applin, but don’t trouble yourself too much. If you need to give up, then come right back.”

“It’s an Applin, it can’t be that much of a problem.” Naota nodded, taking off his apron. His Pokémon did the same and followed him out the door, the bell jingling once more.

Many berry trees had been planted around Linden Café. Two particularly tall ones grew one either side the front entrance, their branches wrapping over the roof and intertwining to form a small archway. Naota thought it looked magical, like a portal to a fairy realm. More trees grew alongside the road, and a few more grew out back. They technically belonged to Ava, and she, Naota, and their Pokémon partners would often collect these berries to use in making various tasty treats. But Ava didn’t mind sharing them with the various Pokémon that inhabited the area.

This meant there were usually a few Pokémon around you could count on as witnesses to any strange events. Like one time a few mysterious boxes with no notes showed up on the café with lots of pretty tea cups and fine china inside. Turned out they were being left by a woman with a crush on Ava. She was too shy to say anything directly, but after Ava thanked her for the gifts, they began going out. Their one year anniversary was approaching soon.

A few bird Pokémon were pecking away at the berries, happily munching the tasty treats. A particularly plump looking Pidgey hopped along one of the lower branches, chirping a merry tune. “Excuse me, Pidgey? Have any of you seen a walking apple nearby?”

Pidgey pointed down the road with her beak.

“Thank you!” Naota waved as he took off. Down the dusty road he went, with his friends running by his side. Shinx dashed on forward with grace. Espurr nearly tumbled a few times, but managed to right herself.

“I wonder what Applin could have wanted to steal the money for,” Naota muttered to himself. He wasn’t much the athletic type, so he hoped Applin wouldn’t be too much trouble to catch up with. He’d barely run that far and he was already out of breath. It was reasons like this he preferred staying at home living a quiet peaceful life instead of going on a journey.

Walking far distances, hiking up winding trails, and chasing after adventure were not his ideas of a good time. That’s why he’d chosen to stay behind in the village instead of travelling, even though many others his age were excitedly leaving to go on grand quests.

See the world. Make new friends. Meet new Pokémon. Challenge the Gyms. Become a champion. Naota stopped to rest, but didn’t want to give Applin the chance to get too far away.

“Espurr?” His partner turned to him with concern.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” Naota bit his lip as he looked around. “It hasn’t been that long since Applin stole the tip jar,” he whispered. “Something that tiny can’t have gotten too far.” Looking ahead he saw a row of houses, where confused homeowners let out sighs as they looked over their mailboxes. Many of them had been knocked over, leaving the mail scattered on the ground. Young children darted back and forth to collect them, making a sort of competitive game out of the ordeal.

“If I had to guess, I’d probably say that Applin is pretty close by.”

“Who would do such a thing?” An old lady with wobbly knees asked the crowd. She was holding a cane to keep herself upright. The people had gathered and were trying to solve the mystery as a group. But nobody seemed to have any clue.

Naota slowly approached, a big grin spreading across his face. This couldn’t have been a coincidence. “What happened here?” he asked them all.

“I heard a loud crashing noise and ran outside my house to take a look,” said one young woman. “By the time I got out here, the mailboxes were all broken and the culprit had run off already. This has been going on for ages but nobody seems to have any clue who’s doing all this.”

“Kids can’t be that stealthy,” said an old man with a long beard. “It must be a Pokémon. Oh if only someone could catch it.”

Naota crossed his arms as he looked around. “Well I have a feeling the culprit is nearby. I’m actually chasing after an Applin with that stole something from my boss. I think that Applin might be guilty of a bit of vandalism too.” A jingling sound in a nearby tree caught his attention. With a bright smile, he pointed and called out, “Shinx, use tackle!”

Shinx grinned as she charged forward, building up speed. She threw her body at the tree as hard as she could, knocking loose a small Applin and the jar of money he had stolen. “There you are!” The crowd turned to Naota as Applin hit the ground and dropped the money. Landing in the grass, the jar rolled toward Naota, who quickly scooped it up.

“Let me guess, you’re the one who’s been playing pranks on the village?” Taking a step forward, he handed the glass jar to Espurr to hold. Shinx turned to Applin, preparing to charge into battle if necessary.

Applin hopped upright and took a battle stance, preparing to strike. “Do you want to battle?” Naota asked.

The other residents of the village gathered, sharing whispers of rumors they’d heard. They spoke of a trainer who could communicate with Pokémon. Could this perhaps be that trainer?

“Or do you want to talk?”

“Applin! Applin, Applin!” And so Applin told his story. Naota nodded as he listened, and the villagers watched carefully. Some wanted to hurry and catch the Applin, but Naota’s diplomacy seemed to be working. Nobody wanted to risk scaring the Applin away, not if it meant enduring further mischief.

Naota nodded and listened. “Applin says he’s sorry,” Naota announced, turning to the other villagers. “He just wanted attention. Last month, he saw a Pokémon battle on TV and now he wants to go on an adventure with a trainer. But every time he approaches a trainer in the village, they just ignore him because they think he belongs to someone.”

“Well it is true that a lot of people let their Pokémon roam around free. If you want someone to catch you it would be better to go out into the wild,” said the old lady from before. “Then this all could have been avoided.” Applin held his head low, recoiling as the old lady scolded him. “Still, I remember in my youth, I couldn’t wait to go out on a Pokémon journey. I can’t hold a grudge against this little guy.”

“Hey, I know you,” said an adult man as he stepped toward Naota. “Don’t you work at the café? Why don’t you take Applin and find a nice trainer for him. It’s pretty popular and travelers are sure to stop by all the time. Surely one of them will want an Applin on his or her team.”

Resting his chin on one hand, Naota gave a smile. “I was actually thinking the same thing.” He spun and faced Applin. “So, what do you say little guy? Want to come with me until we can find you a good trainer? You have to promise to behave though.”

“Applin!” The small Pokémon leapt into Naota’s waiting arms.

“Okay let’s get you back to the café and see if anybody wants to take you. It may take some time but I promise we’ll find you a good trainer.” Of course, truth be told, there was a particular person he hoped to see. “You’ll get to go with them all across the Laegun region. And who knows, maybe one day you’ll even get to help them become the new Pokémon Champion!”

Naota smiled, losing himself in a bit of a daydream.

When the café came into view, he nearly froze for a moment. Espurr and Shinx turned to him with encouraging smiles, and he broke into a jog. “Hey Applin, today might just be your lucky day. I see a great trainer already. You’d be great on his team!”

He pushed the door open and called out, “Mission accomplished!” Espurr marched in, proudly holding up the tip jar to return to Ava. She smiled as she grabbed it, though she was happier about much more than the money.

“You made it just in time,” she told Naota. “ _He’s_ here.”

Sitting in the corner was a young boy with black hair and brown skin. He was only a few months younger than Naota, so the two got on well. He wore a red shirt, black jacket, blue jeans, and a black baseball cap. He shoveled spoonfuls of curry into his mouth as his two Pokémon, a Fletchling and a Rookidee helped themselves.

Naota hugged Applin a little tighter, but was careful not to squeeze too hard. “Hey Fletcher, glad to see you.” He smiled at the young boy, feeling his heart thumping fast. It was a little harder to breathe, but he was used to feeling that way around Fletcher.

“Hey Naota,” he said, looking up from his curry. “Ms. Linden was just telling me that you were out. I’m glad I got to see you before heading out on my journey.” He tried to smile, but he could barely manage it. His mouth froze when he tried. “I was kind of sad when you didn’t stop by earlier. I thought for sure you’d have asked for the day off.”

“I figured you’d probably want to spend some time with your dad or something.”

“Well yeah,” Fletcher looked downward. “But that doesn’t mean I didn’t want to see you too. You’re my best human friend, Naota.”

“So where is your dad anyway? Didn’t he close down the Gym for the entire day so he could spend time with you before you set off?”

“When I said I wanted to come here to see you, he said that he’d wait for me to get back home. He said he was worried he might get in the way of our goodbyes, whatever that means.” Fletcher rubbed the back of his head. “So who’s the little guy? Did you catch a new Pokémon?’

“Sort of,” Naota admitted. “Applin here actually wants to go on an adventure so I told him I’d help him find a trainer.” Applin squirmed out of Naota’s arms and jumped at Fletcher, who managed to catch Applin despite his surprise.

“Wow, he seems to really like you,” Naota said with a laugh. Fletcher smiled as Applin wiggled with joy. “I know your dad is a Flying type Gym Leader, and your current team only has Flying types, but I was wondering if you’d like to branch out?”

“Sure! An Applin will be great on my team.” Fletcher spun the Pokémon to face him. “So what do you say? Want to join my team?” Applin seemed to smile in approval, so to make it official, Fletcher grabbed a Poké Ball from his bag and gently tapped it against Applin.

Applin momentarily vanished in a flash of red light, but Fletcher soon let him out once he’d officially been caught. “Hey check this out,” Fletcher held up a red Pokédex to show Naota. “My dad just got me this for my journey. Let’s see what it says about Applin.”

An electronic voice spoke up. “Applin, the Apple Core Pokémon. Despite their name, Applin are actually not apples at all. They are small worm like Pokémon who burrow into apples soon after they are born. In many cultures, it is believed that giving an Applin to the person you love means you’ll be together forever.”

Naota turned away to hide his blushing face. “Hey Fletcher. Do your best out there. I’ll be rooting for you.”

“Of course I will. I’m going to be Laegun’s new champion someday.” Fletcher puffed out his chest proudly. “You do your best too okay? If you think this place is famous now, just wait until I’m champion and I tell everyone about this café. You’ll have customers for miles. You’ll have to hire more workers. Or catch more Pokémon.”

Naota giggled. It was great getting to see Fletcher again before he set off on his journey. He just wished he’d been brave enough to tell him what he really wanted to say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anybody would like to read the further adventures of Naota and Fletcher, feel free to check out my original card game inspired story Card Force Infection on Fictionpress.  
> https://www.fictionpress.com/s/3344549/1/Card-Force-Infection


	2. Nidoran ♀

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Linden Café does catering and Naota delivers some food to the local high school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Headcanon: Food in this world cooks faster than real life food because the Pokémon world is magic or something. Hey evolution defies physics so why can’t cooking be magic too?

**Chapter 2**

**Nidoran** **♀**

The Pokémon of the woods had long ago grown accustomed to the harmony of living next to a café, helping themselves to mouthfuls of berries from Ava’s trees. Sure there were other trees in the woods, but Ava’s collection included so many rare treats; some even had to be imported from other regions. She grew delicious Drash berries and juicy Enigma berries they simply couldn’t find anywhere else. As thanks, they often helped out when they could.

Naota and her team were picking berries for the café, to make delicious jams, juices, and other delightful treats. Instead of just watching, the forest Pokémon joined in.

Naota grabbed handfuls of berries dropping them into her wicker basket, all while saving a few mint berries for herself. Espurr helped, using telekinetic powers to grab berries from up high. Shinx carefully set her basket into place underneath full looking trees before shaking them loose with a mighty tackle.

Bird like Pokémon, such as Pidgey and Rookidee, plucked berries from up high and dropped them into baskets. Pachirisu scuttled up and down trees, filling baskets as fast as they could. With all their help, a task that normally took hours could be accomplished in minutes.

Seeing the Pokémon work together almost made Naota smile.

Naota and her team carried the berries back into the café, and began making jam while Ava and Roserade worked on a large order of sandwiches. “Not that I’m not excited, but do you really think we can do catering?” Asked Naota. She gathered the jars and lined them all up. “It’s just the five of us, and only you and I are capable of communicating with the human customers.”

“We’re just testing this out for a few days. If it ever gets too busy, we’ll hire some new help I promise. Besides, the outside Pokémon agreed to help if you need it, so we should be fine for a few days. And if this doesn’t work out, we may just ditch the whole idea.

“And Naota, remember. If, despite all the precautions, you still feel overwhelmed, I want you to close the shop early. We can manage to lose a few days of business. I don’t want to overwork anyone and I don’t want capitalism to defile the Linden Café!”

Naota supposed she shouldn’t complain. She was the one who asked for the job after all, even knowing she wouldn’t have much help. And she did have all the benefits she could dream of: free snacks, flexible hours, time off whenever needed, sick leave, and several paid vacation days.

Sometimes she wondered how the café even stayed in business.

Shinx helped by moving baskets around to set up a good work space as Naota and Espurr began hulling and crushing the fruit. Naota used a potato masher, preferring to keep her hands clean. As she worked on her own batch, Espurr preferred to show off, psychically controlling four mashers to do quadruple the work while dancing an impromptu ballet.

She’d tried to do five once, but that required more focus and made it difficult to pirouette.

Roserade grabbed another box of Gogoat cheese from the fridge, spreading it with some roasted vegetables on some rosemary focaccia bread. Though Naota normally hated vegetables, her mouth watered as the smell of roasted onions and bell peppers wafted through the air.

Naota was about to return to her jam duties when the she heard a phone buzzing nearby. Turning toward the entrance, she saw a girl standing outside, talking on her phone. “Hey, how is everything?” she said into the phone. “I’m getting breakfast right now. I’m at the café but I’m not sure if they’re open yet. It looks like they’re still getting ready. That sounds great. Good luck with your match today. Of course I’ll be cheering for you at the tournament tonight! There’s no way you can lose! Okay, talk to you later, bye.” She grinned as she hung up the phone.

The door creaked open. “Hello?” Called out a young girl. “The sign says you’re open, but if you’re busy I can come back later.” A head poked through the door, and long black hair spilled everywhere.

“Come on in,” Ava called out.

The girl stepped inside, followed by a Nidoran ♀. She was a light skinned girl who wore bright clothing, yellow and pink that seemed to brighten her smile. “Oh wow, this café is pretty.” She stopped to admire a vase of roses sitting on one of the tables. “These smell so wonderful. But aren’t roses expensive?”

“We don’t always use roses,” said Ava. “It’s more fun to switch things up anyway.”

Nidoran hopped toward the counter and urged her to come along. The young girl glanced at the menu, mulled it over for a second, and decided. “Can I get one Piquant Pikachu Curry, a Gratin a la Pumpkaboo, and three of those Poké Ball cookies, but can you make one to go please?”

As she paid for her order, signing her name on the receipt, Naota quickly placed two cookies on a plate and slipped the third into a brown paper bag. Shinx hopped onto the stove, turning it on with her tail as Naota began making a curry and the gratin.

While Espurr continued her performance, Shinx took the time to chat with Nidoran ♀ about the difficulties of living life with no opposable thumbs. The two Pokémon nodded solemnly.

Naota brought the girl her finished order, handing it over on a tray. “Please enjoy your meal, Felicia,” she told the girl.

“Thanks,” Felicia served the gratin to Nidoran, who happily slurped it up, while she took a spoonful of curry for herself. Flavors danced on her tongue and she lit up like a Volbeat. “Wow, this is delicious, I should come here more often.” She shoveled the food hungrily, stopping only to take swigs of water from her flask, or to offer some water to Nidoran.

“It’s got just the right blend of spiciness and sweetness doesn’t it? The café’s recipes are all online if you’re interested, along with several others we don’t serve here. I recommend chocolate mint berry pie,” said Ava.

“Thanks, but I can’t cook,” Felicia said with a laugh. “I once tried to cook rice and somehow came out hard and crunchy.”

Nidoran finished her gratin and nibbled on her cookie. “Ni~do. Ni~do ni~do,” she cheered happily.

“So,” Naota gestured to the brown paper bag. “I don’t mean to pry but is that to go cookie for the road or is it a gift for someone else?”

Felicia turned bright red. “It’s for a boy at school. He’s helping me with something and I wanted to thank him.” Her eyes fell downward and she rested her spoon, drooping her body over the table like a deflated balloon. Nidoran nuzzled her cheek, trying to cheer her up.

“What’s wrong? You seem upset.”

“Just, thinking about stuff. You ever really like someone, and they’re a great friend, but you don’t think they see you as anything else. So you try and try to win their affection but it seems useless?”

“I know what you mean,” said Naota. “But don’t lose hope. I’m sure if you keep trying, they’re bound to notice in the end. Or you could always just tell them how you feel directly.”

Espurr slowly turned her head to stare silently at Naota, as if judging her for the hypocrisy of her advice. Unblinking, she fixated her gaze, eyes widening as they grew larger than usual.

“Thanks for the encouragement, but I doubt you’ll understand.” Felicia finished her curry and ate her cookie in a hurry. “But don’t worry, I’ll be okay, even if things don’t work out.

“Thanks for the meal,” Felicia waved goodbye as she dashed out the door, Nidoran quickly hopping along beside her.

Naota returned to her workstation, quickly snacking on a handful of mint and chesto berries from a pouch she kept at her waist.

Watching the scene, Ava smirked a little. “Hey, Naota, would you be comfortable with making the delivery? Everything’s already paid for. You just need to drop the sandwiches off.” She grabbed some picnic baskets and began stuffing them with sandwiches. “Roserade will take care of the business end of everything.”

“Sure, I don’t mind, but why are you smirking?”

“Oh I just have a feeling that you’ll enjoy the trip more than I would.”

.

It took a few minutes to finish the sandwiches, but they were done soon enough. Naota made herself some iced tea with a blend of chesto and mint berries. It was a refreshing treat, just what she needed to perk herself up. She tore off her apron and set out on her journey.

She carried two picnic baskets stuffed to the brim with sandwiches, they were easy enough for a human, but Espurr seemed to be struggling as she carried a single basket in her tiny arms. She didn’t want to use her powers, it would only take a single distraction to disrupt her thoughts and send the basket crashing down. Shinx was physically the stronger of the two, and had no problem carrying the basket, but she only had one mouth to hold the handle. Roserade came along with them, holding onto two more baskets with ease. Naota didn’t like leaving Ms. Linden alone to do all the work herself, but it was nice knowing they only needed a single trip.

A welcoming garden greeted guests, with flowers growing wild and untamed. A large banner above the front entrance, _Bornehart 9 th Grade Tournament tonight_. “Oh I wonder if that’s why they ordered so many sandwiches,” Naota mumbled to herself.

She saw a court in the distance, where several students had gathered to watch a battle between two young trainers. A young girl and her Nidoran **♂** battled against a young boy and his Spearow. Nidoran struggled to keep up, thrusting its horn forward relentlessly as Pidgey hovered just out of reach. The girl pumped her firsts, her long black hair bobbing

Pidgey countered with Gust, flapping its wings hard to send a burst of wind at Nidoran. “Dodge!” The female trainer commanded, and her Pokémon evaded the first attack, only to be caught with a Peck as it landed.

A delivery truck stopped in the parking lot and out climbed a young woman carrying several trays of food. “Seems like this is going to be a pretty big thing.”

She passed between two massive statues of a Nidoking and Nidoqueen, taking time to appreciate the details. They were battle ready, claws and teeth bared as they stared forward, ready to strike an unseen enemy. They were almost frightening.

“They’re the school’s double mascots,” said a voice behind her. Turning, Naota saw a young boy with black skin and curly black hair. “Kurt and Sam Hawkins, the school’s founders, each had a Nidoran as their first Pokémon. They both evolved and remained with their partners for life. When the couple built this school, they commissioned this statue in honor of their Pokémon. Lots of students here have Pokémon from the Nido lines as a way to show their school spirit.

“I myself had a Nidoran as well, though he’s currently a Nidorino.”

“That’s a really cute story,” said Naota. “I like Nidoran, they’re both so adorable. Though I admit there are so many cute Pokémon in this world I wish I could befriend them all.”

“I’m Martin, nice to meet you. Are you delivering food for the tournament? I can help you find your way if you need it.”

“That would be great. I’m supposed to take these to the cafeteria. My name is Naota.”

Martin opened the doors for Naota and the Pokémon. Roserade bowed politely while Espurr did a fancy curtsy. Shinx nodded appreciatively as she followed. “So, what’s it like working at the café?” Martin asked.

Light shone in from the windows and glinted off the wood floors. Potted plants lined the hall, perfuming the air with sweet and tangy scents. Paintings of famous trainers and Pokémon hung from the walls. Naota recognized various champions and former champions from different regions: Lance, Gloria, Red, Leon, Cynthia, and all others watched over the students in the hall as if to guide them and cheer them on.

“It’s nice. I don’t do well under stress so I’m glad I found a work environment that’s relatively care free. I’ve met some really great customers and my boss is super nice. Plus you get to meet some really cool people sometimes. Shauntal from the Unova Elite 4 likes to visit every now and then. She says the food there really helps her brain when she has writer’s block. The Linde Café even appears in one of her novels!

“How do you like it here at the school?”

Martin was silent for a moment. “It’s okay. I know it’s helping me to be a better trainer, and I’ll probably have a much better head start in the long run, but I really want to be out on my journey already. So many kids start when they’re so young. You know the Gym Leader’s son just started his journey and he’s about a year younger than me. Some kids leave home as early as _ten._ But my dads are a bit overprotective, so they say I can only start my journey once I’ve graduated. I know they’re just worried and want the best for me, but sometimes I feel like I’m a bird Pokémon trapped in a cage.”

As they walked, some of the students around them seemed to stop and stare, particularly a lot of girls. They turned away blushing as Martin passed, but he paid them little attention. “Do you ever dream of going on a journey?”

Naota’s face fell and she slumped her shoulders. “Sort of but not really? It’s complicated.

“The boy I like went on a Pokémon journey just recently. He wants to be the region’s next champion. I wish I could accompany him, but I don’t think I’m suited for an adventure like that. I get sick easily and wear out really quick. I’d only slow him down. But I wish I could be there to cheer him on.”

“It’s sad you can’t be with him. But I’m sure he knows you’re cheering him on in your heart. And I’m sure knowing that will help him get far. Of course in the future, I’m going to be Laegun’s champion, so you may want to warn him to watch out,” Martin said with a grin.

They made it to the cafeteria quickly enough. Long tables lined up, stretching from wall to wall. Various delivery people came and went, dropping off all sorts of dishes. “This tournament seems like a big thing.”

“Yeah,” nodded Martin. “We have eight tournaments each year, two for each grade. We do one a week for four weeks and then repeat it again at the end of the year.”

Two women were chatting with each other when they noticed Naota and Martin. The younger lady, a blonde haired woman with light skin and an apron smiled as she saw the food. “You can set that down on the tables, dearie, we’ll handle it from here.”

Roserade pulled out a clipboard and a pen, handing it over to the women so one could sign. “We were just talking about you, Martin,” said the older lady as she took the pen and scribbled her name. Her wrinkled brown skin and thinning gray hair betrayed her age, but she moved like a Hoppip, full of energy and life. She leaned over to Naota and explained, “Martin here won last year’s tournament with ease. The other students couldn’t touch him. He made it all the way to the finals without losing a single Pokémon. And then, he managed to defeat his opponent’s team while only losing two of his own team members.”

Martin chuckled modestly, a hand behind his head. “It’s nothing, I just had a great team behind me. Nidoran managed to do most of the work. Plus I got really lucky too.”

Naota bowed politely. “Thanks for your help Martin. I’d love to stay and chat, but we really need to get back to the café,” she turned to her companions, “okay everyone time, to get going.” Roserade and Shinx nodded in approval. But Espurr was gone.

Naota forced a grin. “Well this should be a fun day.”

.

“Espurr, where are you?” Naota called out as she and the others searched the halls. Though she wanted to return to the café as soon as possible, Naota wasn’t too worried about the situation overall. Espurr was a free spirited and independent Pokémon. She knew what she wanted and it could be difficult to persuade her otherwise. But despite it all, she knew Espurr was good and kind and wouldn’t cause any trouble.

“Espurr, are you there?” Martin called out. His kind hearted nature wouldn’t let him stand by when someone needed help. “Hello?”

As they walked, Naota kept admiring the various paintings hanging on the wall. Her heart skipped when she recognized a man with brown skin and a growing beard, Bornehart’s very own Gym Leader. Seeing Fletcher’s dad made her stomach gurgle, but she held it in.

Turning a corner, the group nearly bumped into a young girl walking with her Nidoran **♂.** She inhaled sharply as her already fast paced heart raced even faster.

“Ah-” she yelped. “Oh, Martin, it’s just you.” She held a hand over her chest. “Sorry, still full of adrenaline from my match with Greg. It got really tense for a while, Nidoran had trouble keeping up with Pidgey. But we remembered your advice and scored a couple of good hits.” Nidoran held his head up proudly. “We won in the end. It’s good practice for tonight’s tournament.”

“That’s great Ainsley! I knew you could do it.” Martin gestured to the group. “Naota, this is my younger sister Ainsley. Ainsley, this is Naota. She works at the Linden Café. She was delivering some food when one of her Pokémon wandered off. Have you seen an Espurr wandering around, by any chance?”

The girl looked at them with a grin. “Yeah, I just saw an Espurr chasing after Felicia.” Pointing down the hall, she added, “They went that way.” Ainsley’s long black hair flipped over her shoulder as she turned.

“Thank you so much. I love Espurr, but sometimes it’s so hard to keep up with her energy,” Naota laughed. She bowed politely before continuing her pursuit.

Martin said goodbye to his sister and followed after Naota. “Does she often run off like this?” Martin asked. “She seems like the energetic and curious type.”

Roserade nodded, thinking of the many times Espurr’s energy had caused problems at the café. Like the time she tried a triple shot of espresso in her drink. This ended with the entire kitchen covered in splattered berries when she tried to make twenty kinds of jam at once. Luckily the outside Pokémon were more than happy to help eat the excess, and a quick scrub had everything sparkling clean soon enough. “Rose~” she agreed.

“Sometimes, but usually with a good reason. One of our customers at the café this morning was a student named Felicia. It could be a coincidence but if it’s the same girl, I think Espurr recognized her and decided to follow her. I’m actually terrible at remembering faces, but Espurr tends to recognize café customers whenever we’re out and about.

“If she recognizes a customer, she likes to stop and say hello to them.” Naota chuckled softly. “Of course, most people don’t recognize her until I introduce myself. It can be a bit awkward at times. But they’re usually delighted to hear that Espurr recognized them.”

Martin laughed. “Pokémon of the same species often look alike until you get to know them well. I mentioned this earlier, but a lot of trainers here have a Pokémon from the Nidoran lines on their team. This school’s culture has formed a sort of litmus test out of it all. You’re considered a true trainer when you’re able to tell your Nidoran apart from others.”

.

“Espurr, are you there?” Naota’s throat was starting to feel dry from all the shouting. She popped a handful of mint berries from her pouch. The juices ran down her throat, helping a little, but she wanted some water soon. “Espurr, let me know if you hear me!”

“Es es~purr!” A voice called back.

“Naota, is that you?” Called out a familiar voice from just inside a classroom. Peeking inside, Naota saw Felicia standing in a near empty room, flanked by Nidoran and Espurr. A teacher sat at her desk, smiling as she graded some homework. “I had a feeling I’d run into you. I saw Espurr following me and I couldn’t quite shake the feeling that this was the same Espurr I’d seen earlier today. What brings you here?”

“Funny story. All those sandwiches my boss was making? They were for the tournament tonight. Must be a huge deal. I lost count of how many different catering companies I saw.” Naota bent down to scoop Espurr up in her arms. Espurr waved like she was drowning, but Naota could tell from her purrs that she was pleased.

Shinx did a running leap and hopped onto Naota’s shoulder, nuzzling Espurr with affection. “Espurr must have seen you at some point and decided to take off after you.”

“Although I’m really not sure when that could have happened,” said Martin. “Espurr vanished while we were in the cafeteria, and I didn’t see you there.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Espurr is a psychic type, maybe she just sensed you with ESP.”

Felicia chuckled. “That could very well be the case. I came straight here once I got to school. So I don’t think Espurr had time to follow me.” It was a small classroom with thirty or so of the combo chair and desks that schools used. “I was talking to my teacher about advice for move sets.”

“Are you competing in the tournament?” Naota asked.

Felicia shook her head. “Nah, they review our performances and then the top sixteen students from each grade are invited to compete. They nearly always say yes. I sadly, am only top thirty-two of my grade. Not too bad for a school this big, but still not enough.”

Martin grinned. “But you’re improving. Keep it up and I’m sure you’ll get there in no time.”

Felicia laughed. “Easy for you to say. Everyone’s rooting for you to become the region’s next champion after you graduate. Heck, if it weren’t for your parents, you’d probably have eight badges by now.”

Grinning, Martin gave a slight chuckle. “Well, thanks for the vote of confidence. It was nice chatting with you, but I better get going.” He turned to leave but spun back at the last second. “Almost forgot, my parents are throwing a surprise birthday party for my sister tomorrow evening at 6:00. You’re totally welcome to come if you’d like.”

“Sure,” Felicia said, her face going red. “I’d love that.”

Martin gently patted Espurr on the head. “You be a good girl now, no giving Naota trouble.” He waved goodbye and soon departed. “Oh and thanks again for the cookie.” He was out the door a second when girls suddenly flocked to him to say hello. He was apparently really popular with the ladies.

Not that Naota could blame them, Martin was cute. (Personally she found Fletcher cuter, but that was a matter of opinion.) But as the girls surrounded Martin, laughing and giggling as he responded politely, Naota took a look around the classroom. More paintings decorated each wall, all displaying various famous landscapes. Paintings of the Spear Pillar, Sky Pillar, Lake of Rage, and more all hung on the walls.

“This school sure does love its paintings.”

The teacher answered. “Sam is a huge fan of art. He’s a bit of a painter himself, and many of the works displayed in this school are his own. Kurt wanted some way to honor his husband.” With a smile, she added, “This is a school built on love.”

“Thanks again for your help, Mrs. Kikuchi!” Felicia waved as she and Naota stepped back outside. Roserade waved goodbye to the teacher before joining the others.

Naota took a quick look around and confirmed that there were no other students within listening distance. “Can I ask you something personal?” He asked Felicia.

“Uh sure, I guess.”

“Do you have a crush on Ainsley?” She asked.

“Yeah? How could you tell?” Felicia’s face was stunned. “Is it that obvious?”

“You acted completely normal around Martin, but only blushed when he mentioned his sister. And I overheard you on the phone earlier today. Didn’t mean to eavesdrop or anything, but it’s hard not to hear sometimes. You were excitedly cheering someone on and I know it probably wasn’t Martin. Unless he was held back a year, then he isn’t going to be in the tournament tonight.”

Felicia nodded. “Yeah, I have a crush on Ainsley. Martin was helping me pick out a gift to get her for her birthday. He suggested I get her a TM to use. So I asked the teacher on advice for what move I should get her. I’m stopping by the department store after school today to pick up an Ice Beam. Nidoran has trouble hitting Flying Types, so I’m hoping this will help. It might not improve Nidoran’s odds of hitting flying types, but it will make each hit count. I’m planning to give it to her before the tournament tonight.”

“I hope things work out for you,” said Naota.

.

“Sorry we took so long,” Naota said as she and the others returned to the café. “Espurr ran off again, but we ran into Felicia.” She grabbed the last of her mint berries and popped them into her mouth.

“No problem,” said Ava, but her face was full of concern. Her usual smile was gone and she frowned as she looked at Naota. “Are you feeling okay Naota? I’ve noticed you eating a lot of Mint and Chesto Berries. Of course I don’t mind sharing them with you, you’re welcome to eat as many as you want. But they’re both these berries are known cures for sleepiness. Did you get enough rest last night?”

Naota shook her head. “I tried, but I kept tossing and turning,” she admitted. “I kept thinking about Fletcher. I know it’s only been a day, but I really miss him. But I don’t want to take the day off. I need some normalcy for now while I adjust. I just need some time, I swear everything is going to be okay.”

“Have you tried calling him?”

Naota shook her head. “I don’t want to bother him all the time. I’m giving him some space. But don’t worry, I will at some point.”

“If you’re sure this is what you want, then I understand. But if you need any time off, you’re welcome to take as much as you need.”

Naota put her apron back on and got back behind the counter, forcing herself to smile as a new customer approached.

“Hello, welcome to Linden Café. What can I get for you?”


	3. Sylveon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young girl and his Eevee visit the café.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to do something uncommon with a character's pronouns. I did my best to proofread but apologize if I made any mistakes. This chapter also has a cameo from my friend Sarah!

**Chapter 3**

**Sylveon**

A young girl sat in his room, browsing the internet. He’d logged on to a shopping site to check out all the various skirts he’d love to wear if he ever got the chance. But that was a pretty BIG if. The skirts came in all sorts of colors: fuchsia, mint green, black, and even striped. Some were even modeled to look like Pokémon! There was a Pikachu yellow skirt with red cheek markings, a green and white Rowlett skirt, and even one in the colors of Sylveon- pink, white, and blue striped skirt. Above all others it was this skirt that caught his attention the most.

Sylveon was one of his favorite Pokémon. A large Sylveon poster hung over his bed, a few of the T-shirts hanging in his closet bore images of Sylveon, and he’d even bought a pin online from the “Friends of Sylveon” Company. It bore the company’s name in black against a backdrop of Sylveon’s colors. He wore it all the time, on his shirt, on his hat, or even on his school bag. No matter where he went, he’d display the pin with pride.

“E~vee~vee,” his partner, Eevee, hopped into his lap to peek at his screen. She saw the ever recognizable colors and put on a smile as she looked up at the girl. “E~vee~vee,” she called out. She giggled as she pawed at the screen. The girl ran his hand through Eevee’s fur, it was so silky and smooth from a recent spa trip, and it had even been cut just the other day!

Someone knocked on the door and the girl slammed his laptop shut.

“Hey Jacob, how are things going?” It was the girl’s father, a buff man with tanned muscular arms poking out of a dirty tank top and faded dirty jeans covering his legs. “I got something for you,” he presented the girl with a gift certificate. “It’s for the Linden Café. The hotel I’m working for gave it to me, but it expires soon and I’m too busy, so I thought you might like to go.” He was a construction worker, helping to build houses and other buildings. Recently he and his crew were hired to work on a new hotel. The job paid well but kept him busy a lot of the time.

“Thanks dad,” said the girl. He patted his Eevee on the head. “I haven’t been there in a while actually.” He smiled, remembering the sweet parfait he’d gotten a few months ago. Eevee cheered along, running circles in the girl’s lap. “I think Eevee’s excited to go,” he said, “she really loved the pies there.”

The girl stood up and gathered some clothes, closing the door so he could change in private. He saw his reflection on the door mirror, and fought back the latest wave of shock. He was light skinned, preferring to stay indoors most of the time meant little sunlight for a tan, and he had short blonde hair that fell to his shoulders. He wanted to grow it out longer, but it never came into the style he wanted. The last time he tried it grew into a wild and tangled mess of curls, like some dude in a rocker band. Nothing like the beautiful locks he wanted flowing down his back. He wanted hair like the super models and actresses he saw on TV. Gazing up at his poster of Hazuki/Zer0, the Elite 4 member and pop idol sensation, Jacob envied her grace and beauty.

Changing into one of his aforementioned Sylveon shirts and a pair of cotton shorts, the young girl dashed out the door, Eevee running alongside him.

.

“I’m so sorry to ask this so suddenly, I don’t know what we’d do without you,” said a tall man in a business suit. He had light skin and well combed hair, making him look very professional, but his lips made a huge frown that would make most people feel sympathetic toward him. “I can’t believe our caterer cancelled at the last second. Oh this is horrible.”

“No problem,” said Ava as she and Roserade quickly layered up the ingredients to form stack after stack of sandwiches. “Something like this won’t take much time at all.” She placed the sandwiches in baskets as Espurr began gathering cookies, muffins, and other tasty snacks. Roserade grabbed some warm buttery croissants and stuffed them in as well. “Naota, will you be okay handling the shop on your own?”

“Yeah no problem!” she said as she gathered up some flowers to stick into vases. There were so many different colors, red, white, orange, yellow, purple, and they all looked so beautiful. She had trouble arranging them in ways that were well balanced and pleasing to the eye, but she thought she was doing well. Usually this would be Ms. Linden’s job, but the delivery had come while she was in the middle of handling the time sensitive catering crisis.

There was a special event to be held at the park today, merchants from all around were gathering to show off wares you normally couldn’t get around here. Rare TMs, evolution stones, and even some battle items fit for any rising Pokémon star. They had ordered catering from another company, but that company had to cancel after an accident ruined all their food. Apparently the boss’ kids were having a battle with a friend and one of them used _Earthquake_ , knocking over stacks of food that spilled to the ground.

The food was being fed to Pokémon, so it wouldn’t go to waste, but it was no longer fit for human consumption and they were out of the ingredients to make any more. Luckily one of the merchants was a fan of the café, so he happily suggested it as an alternative.

Watching this all was a dark skinned merchant in business casual attire. He carried a suitcase inside, with glowing light pouring out of it. “I told you this café would be amazing.” He turned to the Pikachu at his side, who seemed to be watching this all somewhat unenthusiastically. Her eyes never seemed to wander far as she stared at the ground the entire time.

“Shinx?” Naota’s Shinx approached cautiously, wanting to check on the melancholy Pokémon.

The merchant looked down with a frown. “What’s the matter Pikachu? You’ve been acting down for a while now. Are you sick? Should I take you to the Pokémon Center?”

“Pi~pikachu.”

Taking a break from the flowers, Naota took a step toward Pikachu, bending over to speak. “Hey there Pikachu? Want to tell me what’s wrong? It might make you feel better.”

“”Pipi~kachu,” she said slowly, not looking up at Naota. “Pi~pika.”

Espurr nodded in agreement.

“You met an Alolan Raichu recently, didn’t you?” asked Naota.

“That’s amazing,” said the merchant. “You really can talk to Pokémon!” Naota nodded. “Yes, a trainer came to us to buy a Thunder Stone recently. She’s recently been to Alola and had evolved one of her Pikachu into an Alolan Raichu. She wanted to evolve her other Pikachu as well.”

“Pikachu says she wants to be an Alolan Raichu so she can use cool psychic powers,” explained Naota. Hearing this, Espurr waved her hands as she lifted a blender and several plates into the air as if to demonstrate the benefits of having psychic powers.

“Is that true?” The merchant asked. Pikachu nodded. “Well then, it might be a while, but next time I get to take a vacation, we’re going to Alola. Then we can evolve you into an Alolan Raichu!” At these words, the merchant’s Pikachu cheered, finally putting on a smile. “Wow, that is a really amazing talent you have there, kid. You could probably make a lot of money with it. I’ll tell you what,” he opened his coat and pulled out a stack of coupons, tearing one off to give to Naota. “This is a coupon for one free evolution stone. I have a mail order program, so if you can’t make it today, you can mail that in whenever you want and I’ll send you a free stone of your choice.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Okay, this should be enough,” said Ava as she finished filling a basket with some pastries. “This should be enough for the event. Naota, take care of yourself while I’m gone. Feel free to close up early if you need to.”

Ava, Roserade, Pikachu, and the two men each took a handful of baskets as they walked out the door.

Naota continued working on the flowers until she finished.

“So what do you think?” She asked her partners. Espurr and Shinx cheered in unison as they admired the arrangements. Her tired eyes stung as she looked over the beautiful arrangements. There were so many different colors. Red, orange, yellow, purple, and white! In different shapes and sizes. Naota wished she knew more about flowers but as it stood she couldn’t name any.

Ms. Linden loved the smell of fresh flowers. It cost a little extra and took a bit more effort than simply keeping plastic decorations, but she felt it was worth it to keep the café as beautiful as possible.

The door jingled open as two customers walked in. They were both burly, wearing construction hats and overalls, one with light skin and another with dark skin, and they had a Machamp and a Conkeldurr following closely behind them. Naota moved like a ninja and slid into place behind the counter. “Hello and welcome to The Linden Café. How may I help you today?”

“I’ll take two Pumpkaboo Juices,” said the first man.

“And I’ll have an Eevee Latte and a tall glass of milk for Conkeldurr,” he said as his partner smiled with excitement.

“Con~kel!” He cheered.

“I agree, the milk here really is delicious,” said Naota. The two men laughed, mistaking this for a joke. Naota was used to that and used it as an excellent cover to talk to people’s Pokémon whenever they came. After all, talking to a Pokémon wasn’t unusual in anyway, though _fully_ _understanding_ them was.

Naota quickly got to work, pouring the two juices while Espurr got started on the latte. The first man thanked her as he took a sip from his glass, quickly handing the other to Machamp. Naota poured the milk next, smiling as Conkeldurr quickly downed it.

Espurr passed the latte to Naota, she handed it to the man, and he paid with a gift certificate. “So how has work on the hotel been? A lot of construction workers have been visiting lately and it sounds like it’s tough work.”

“Yeah it’s tough,” said one of the men. “But honestly kind of boring. That’s a good thing though. Rather have that than a disaster. Don’t get me wrong, the company is excellent and we all get along, and I couldn’t ask for better partners than Dean here, or the Pokémon, but the boss values safety and quality, so work can be pretty slow at times. Not that I’d have it any other way.”

“Not like my last job,” the second man laughed. “Had a lot of accidents there. I’m really glad I switched companies. When I first showed up to work and Greg told me he’d never seen an accident, I thought he was lying.” The group walked to their seats just as the door opened once more, and in walked a young girl tailed by an adorable Eevee. “Hey, it’s the boss’ son. How are ya Jacob?”

The young girl smiled. “I’m doing well, sir,” he said with a polite bow. Eevee hopped onto his shoulder as he walked to the counter, fishing the gift certificate out of his pocket. He placed it on the counter “Hello, I’d like two pizzas and two milkshakes please.”

“Coming right up,” she said. Shinx nudged the dough toward Naota and she quickly rolled it into two small circles, pouring on the pizza sauce. Espurr walked to the freezer to grab the ice cream, using her psychic powers to get what she couldn’t reach. The blender was easy enough to operate, so Shinx pushed the buttons once Espurr poured all the ingredients in. They slid the finished milkshakes toward the customers as Naota finished pouring on the cheese so she could stick the pizza in the oven.

“Hey, is that a ‘Friends of Sylveon’ pin?” asked Naota, noticing the pin on Jacob’s shirt. “I love their stuff. I bought one of their tote bags last month, it’s super cute.”

“Yeah,” Jacob agreed.

Naota took a look at Jacob’s shirt, proudly displaying a Sylveon prancing around. “Friends of Sylveon donates a portion of their profits to charities that support transgender rights. I really like that about them.”

“Y-yeah, that’s pretty cool,” said Jacob.

The men and their Pokémon sipped their drinks while watching TV. The news anchor gave a report. “Pokémon League Champion Lance and his wife Sarah have recently landed in the Laegun Region. When asked about the reason for their trip, they had this to say.”

The scene cut to Lance, a familiar looking man with spiky carmine hair, light skin, and a black cape flowing behind him. “Part of being a Pokémon Master means learning as much about Pokémon as you can. For us, this means travelling the world to learn more about the Pokémon and trainers in various regions. We’ve been planning this trip for a while, but my wife and I have been quite busy and sometimes it’s difficult to get my schedule to align with theirs.”

Beside him, his wife Sarah smiled. They had flat brown hair and brown eyes, with a large black cloak hooded dress flowing over their body and down to her ankles, with extra fabric trailing behind them like a cape of their own. The dress was covered in lace and frills and made them look almost witchlike. Its darkness was in contrast to their light skin. At their shoulder sat an energetic Pikachu.

“If we happen to get a chance to spend some quality time together, that’s a plus too,” they said.

Watching this, Dean smirked. “We’ve been getting a lot of visitors from other regions lately. Didn’t Lorelei visit and have her match with Hazuki? I wonder if Lance is planning to challenge anyone.”

“If Sarah is here too I hope we get to see them in a battle. Sarah is mostly retired now, and doesn’t do league stuff as much, but they used to be really good. I was a huge fan of theirs back in the day. They defeated a lot of champions, though they always stepped down instead of claiming the title for themselves. They’ve won in Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, and Kalos. They even defeated Lance a couple of times, but let him keep his position.

“Gloria, the champion of Galar, said she’s hoping to challenge Sarah one day, but they’ve never had a chance, so everyone’s still waiting with bated breath.”

“Wow, I never realized they were so strong.”

“Yeah, they’ve been out of the spotlight for a while now, so most people know them as Lance’s wife. I’m still hoping they’ll make a comeback someday,” Greg quickly sipped down his juice.

Blowing on his latte to cool it, Dean gave a quizzical look. “Wait, do they really consider themself to be Lance’s wife and not spouse? They use they/them pronouns right? So they’re non-binary and not a woman.”

Greg nodded. “Non-binary people call themselves all sorts of things. You remember that one zombie show that was popular a few years back? One of the main characters was played by a non-binary person who used they/them pronouns but still identified as a lesbian. They also preferred being called an ac _tor_ instead of an ac _tress_. So a non-binary person can be a wife.

“And as counterintuitive as it may seem, some people actually do identify as non-binary women.

“Oh and Sarah uses a bunch of pronouns actually, not just they/them. They use she/her and even some neopronouns. People honestly use whatever pronouns they want, regardless of gender. You’ve even got some women using he/him.”

“I see,” said Dean, finishing his latte.

The men continued sipping their drinks alongside their Pokémon, laughing at some inside jokes. It wasn’t long before they finished and were on their way, thanking Naota for their drinks as they walked back out the door.

Jacob stared silently at the flowers on his table. trying to absorb the conversation he’d overheard about gender and pronouns. The news program continued in the background, but he paid it no mind. “Ee~vee?” The Pokémon looked up with worry.

This finally got Jacob to snap back to reality. “Sorry, Eevee, I was just lost in thought.”

“Your order is ready,” Naota called out as she pulled the pizzas from the oven. She took them to Jacob’s table and smiled as she set them down. “I hope you enjoy it.”

Eevee blew on her pizza while Jacob, took a bite of his. The sauce was bursting with flavor, enhanced by herbs like oregano and basil, and the cheese was gooey and delicious. He chewed for a moment, letting the warmth of a good meal spread through his body.

“Hey,” said Jacob. “You’re transgender, right?” He looked up at Naota his cheeks a bit flushed, embarrassed to be asking such a personal question of a stranger. But he was alone and had to ask somebody. “I’ve been here before, and your nametag said He/Him. But now it’s She/Her.”

Naota nodded. “I’m genderfluid. Sometimes I am a girl and I use she/her. Sometimes I feel a bit more masculine and use he/him, but I still feel partially like a girl most of the time.” Naota explained. “Identities are complex and varied like that, but that’s what makes life so interesting.”

“I- I think I’m a girl,” said Jacob, his hands trembling. “Sometimes in my head I think of myself as a girl. I look at pretty skirts and think _‘I wish I could wear that.’_ But I’m not sure. When I imagine someone calling me ‘she’ or ‘her’ it doesn’t feel quite right. And I don’t really know if I want to change my name or anything, not just yet.”

“That’s perfectly reasonable. You can think of yourself as a girl and still use he/him pronouns, maybe it’s just until you’re ready, maybe it’s forever. The choice is personal and you’re valid either way. And I’m still using my birth name, so you’re fine if you want to keep yours for now. Or forever.”

Jacob smiled, a weight lifting off his chest. “Thanks, Naota,” he said, patting Eevee on the head. “It’s really nice having someone to talk to. I haven’t told anybody else yet. I think my parents are a bit suspicious though, they were unusually interested when I got my Friends of Sylveon pin. They wanted to know why I bought it, if I just liked Sylveon or if it was something else.

“I told them I really liked Sylveon. Plausible deniability really helped.”

“That’s the beauty of the Friends of Sylveon brand. Sylveon comes in the colors of the trans pride flag, so a lot of people in the trans community have latched onto Sylveon as a powerful symbol of pride. But there are cis people who are fond of Sylveon as well, giving those of us in the closet a way to subtly hint at their pride.”

Eevee finished her pizza and milkshake, smiling up at Jacob. “Wow, you really liked that, huh?” he said. “Maybe we should start coming here more often,” he watched as Eevee slowly nodded.

Naota watched, rubbing her chin in thought. “Hey, did you know I’m really good at talking to Pokémon? Mind if I ask about something personal?”

“Uh sure,” said Jacob. “It’s not like I have any grounds to complain, after I asked if you were trans.”

“You like Sylveon and you seem to be treating your Eevee really well, yet she hasn’t evolved yet. Any particular reason?” Naota bent over to pet Eevee. “I’m sure Eevee’s affection and friendship must be high, and learning a Fairy Type move should be rather easy.”

“Well,” Jacob began. “We don’t battle much and Eevee usually does need some experience to level up. But beyond that, I can never really tell what Eevee’s thinking. My parents first got her for me after I got my Sylveon pin. They said they couldn’t find a Sylveon, but I could evolve Eevee when the time was right.

“At first, Eevee seemed pretty nonchalant around all the Sylveon merchandise I used to buy, like the posters or the manga. But after a while, she started acting happier whenever she saw something new I’d bought, like when I got my Sylveon composition notebook for school.

“I want a Sylveon, but I don’t want Eevee to change just to be what I want. How ironic would that be? If I tried to get Sylveon to be what _I_ wanted to make _me_ happy?” He laughed. “I see Eevee acting excited whenever she sees anything Sylveon related, but I worry it’s a show she’s putting on for me.”

Naota crouched down on Eevee’s level. “Hey, Eevee. Is Jacob right? Are you putting on an act for his benefit?”

Shinx walked out from behind the counter, scampering toward the table she leapt upward, landing besides Eevee. “Shinx! Shinx, Shinx, Shinx!” Shinx and Eevee looked deeply into each other’s eyes for a moment.

“What do you think they’re saying?” Jacob asked.

“Shinx is saying that Eevee has so many choices on what it can evolve into. It can even become a cool electric type like Jolteon!” Naota chuckled. “I guess we know what Shinx’s opinion is.” A strange glow engulfed Shinx as she slowly lifted off the table, a psychic force slowly lowered her to the ground. Espurr stared at the group, eyes wide.

“I guess that’s Espurr’s way of showing Eevee the benefits of becoming a Psychic type.”

Jacob laughed.

“I have an idea,” said Naota, fishing something out of her pocket. “There’s a special event going on in the park today. Merchants are showing off lots of rare items.” She pulled out a coupon. “One of the merchants was in here earlier and he gave me this, but you can have it. It’s good for one free evolution stone. Why don’t you take Eevee and you can look around. You don’t even need to make a decision today. They have a mail order program, so you can just send that coupon in whenever you feel like.”

Jacob looked at the coupon in his hands, staring in wonder. Turning to Eevee, he asked “How does that sound?”

“Ee~vee!” she cheered.

Jacob turned back to Naota. “Thanks, this sounds like a great idea.” Jacob and Eevee finished their food and headed out the door, saying goodbye. Jacob wasn’t sure which evolution stone he’d get, if any, but he was looking forward to making a decision together, with Eevee.


	4. Slowbro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An old lady's Shellder decides to munch on a Slowpoke's tail. Can the Café's cupcakes convince her to let go?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter features a cameo from my friend Sylvi. I originally chose her Pokémon's pronouns at random, before consulting her. She requested they/them pronouns. I made an attempt to edit them. Please let me know if I missed any.

**Chapter 4**

**Slowbro**

The Café’s first customer that day was a woman in her early 30’s. She was fair skinned with wavy brown hair flowing down her back with a cat ear headband adorning her head. Round glasses framed her eyes, making them look ever so slightly larger. She wore a cute shirt with soft shades of brown and embroidered leaves that reminded Naota of a gentle fall day. She walked up to the counter and looked at the menu for a moment. “We’ll take a Dugtrio Sandwich Trio, two Cheesey Rowlett Pizzas, a Happy Snorlax Loco Moco, an order of the Combee Waffles, a Gossifleur Combo Plate, a Piquant Pikachu Curry, and seven Bouncy Brionne Sodas.”

Naota noticed the six Poké Balls on this woman’s waist. Pokémon, lovely as they were, could be a challenge to raise. Few people owned full teams unless they were a serious trainer or they really loved Pokémon. Many people just kept one or two as their partners and called it a day.

But with a Gym in town they did get a handful of trainers every now and then, so large orders like this weren’t too uncommon. It sure helped keep the Café afloat.

Ava smiled at the woman. “We’ll get started on your order right away. May I have your name?”

“Sylvi or Tempest is fine.”

The woman took her seat and opened her Poké Balls, letting loose her entire team. With her were an Eevee, a Shinx, an Absol, a Munna, a Smeargle, and an Alolan Marowak.

Naota’s Shinx let out a happy purr, excited to see a fellow Shinx in the Café. She ran up to greet her new friend. “Shinx! Shinx, Shinx!”

“Shinx!”

They both cried with joy as they danced in circles. Naota let out a chuckle as he began assembling the sandwiches. The Café took pride in all its food, making sure to use the finest fresh lettuce available. Any sign of wilting was grounds to throw the lettuce out. Their bread was baked fresh daily before the Café even opened. Their vegetables were always crisp and delicious and their tomatoes were ripe and juicy, and constant vigilance and inspections made sure their ingredients were always up to Ava’s high standards. It was all a lot of hard work, but it made for delicious food.

Espurr got the sodas ready, pouring them from the fountain, while Roserade rolled the dough for the pizzas, easily making two at once. The sauce, cheese, and other toppings came next, Roserade still managed to work them both at the same time, and in the blink of an eye they were ready for the oven.

Ava went to work on the burger, mixing it with garlic salt, pepper, and a few spices as she rolled it into a ball. Her hands were going numb so she decided to strike up a conversation to distract herself.

“So, I’ve never seen you before. Are you new in town?” asked Ava as she added a hint more of spices to the burger’s outer layer. She quickly washed her hands and tossed the burger into a pan. It sizzled loudly as the smell of spices filled the air. Marowak twirled their bone club in excitement.

“Just passing through,” said Sylvi as she patted Munna’s head. “Trying to see the world. People around here hold this café in high regards so we thought we’d check it out. We were getting pretty hungry anyway.”

“We are pretty popular,” said Ava, smiling with pride. “I hope we can live up to your expectations. So what kinds of things do you do on your travels?” she asked as she flipped the burger. Ina separate pan she cracked some eggs, one in each hand, quickly adding the salt and pepper.

“Not much, I just like to wander around seeing the sights. I sometimes do odd jobs here and there if I need the money, but you can live surprisingly well just scavenging around for things to sell. I found a Big Nugget about a town away and it’s probably going to keep me going for a bit.

“My only real goal is to find as many cute Pokémon as I can to hug.”

Espurr dramatically leapt down from the counter and ran up to Sylvi. Looking down, Sylvi laughed as she saw Espurr eagerly awaiting that hug. Checking with Naota for approval first, she bent down and picked up Espurr for a hug, giving her a few ear scritches for good measure.

Naota chuckled to himself as he continued working behind the counter.

When a second customer walked in, Naota left the food to the others and took his place behind the counter. “Welcome, Ms. Reál, how are you today?” He waited patiently as the old woman walked to the counter, her black cane clacking against the floor every step of the way.

Ms. Reál was an old woman with wrinkly brown skin and graying black hair kept nicely in a bun. She loved the Café and visited often, usually bringing Pearly, her Shellder. Pearly would usually devour sweets, preferring things like the Alcremie Cupcakes or berry infused milk. On hot days they’d both come in and Pearly could drink an entire gallon by herself!

Today however, Ms. Reál had a Slowbro at her side, keeping a steady pace as it watched to make sure she did not fall. 

“I’m doing well today, thank you,” the old woman’s voice held a note of sadness. “Had a nasty spill the other week. Pearly and I had just gotten home from grocery shopping and I was trying to put away a bag of Pokémon food when I lost my balance and fell over! Luckily Pearly was able to fetch one of the neighbors to help. Had to go to the doctor but everything appears to be okay.”

“That’s horrible! But I’m glad you weren’t hurt badly!” said Ava. “There are a lot of programs to help deliver food and groceries to the elderly and disabled, would you like me to help you find one?”

“My neighbor and the doctor said the same thing. I told them I’d think about it, but I already feel so cooped up. Most of my friends are gone so I don’t get to visit them anymore. And I had to stop going to Bingo since the host quit and they never found a replacement. I’d hate to take away another part of my life just because I’m getting old,” she let out a sigh. “Besides, I’m doing fine now- but today isn’t about me. I came here because of my poor Pearly-,” she gestured toward the Slowbro at her side, unable to finish her sentence for the grief that had overcome her. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

“Does the Slowpoke belong to anyone?” Naota asked. It was rare, but it happened with symbiotic evolutions like Slowbro, Magneton, or Dugtrio. Pokémon that belonged to multiple partners would “combine” into one and the humans would argue over who got ownership of the new evolution. It rarely ended well.

But Ms. Reál shook her head. “No, this was a wild Slowpoke. _Was._ Pearly has been at my side ever since I was a little girl. Oh if only I had evolved her this whole thing wouldn’t have happened.” Her body trembled as she spoke. “Slowbro isn’t even acknowledged as an evolution of a Shellder, just the evolution of Slowpoke. It makes no sense for poor Pearly to be treated as a non-entity.”

“Symbiotic fusions are unusual,” Naota admitted. “Professor Elm still hasn’t figured them out. Did you know, for years there’s been debate over whether Dugtrio are a combination of three Diglett or one Diglett splitting apart? Turns out it’s both and it depends on the individual Dugtrio, though it can skew one way in certain regions. And there’s still no accepted theory on why some Magneton are completely fused together while some are comprised of three Magnemite capable of orbiting around each other.

“And Slowbro and Slowking are even weirder since they’re a combination of two different species. Did you know, Slowbro and Slowking are the only known Pokémon capable of _devolving?_ Should the Shellder be detached from the Slowpoke it will go right back to _being_ a Slowpoke. Though I’m not sure about what happens to the Shellder, seeing as few people talk about it. As you said, Slowbro is treated only as the evolution of Slowpoke. I wonder if Shellder would maintain its spiral form or revert.”

“I wouldn’t care if it maintained its new form or not. I just want Pearly back. If only there was some way to get it to let go, but a Slowpoke’s tail is said to be one of Shellder’s favorite treats. I thought if I came here maybe one of your cupcakes might help.”

“There’s only one way to find out,” Naota reached behind the glass display case and pulled out some cupcakes. Ms. Reál paid for the dessert (she insisted, despite Ava’s protests) and held it in front of Pearly, shaking it desperately to get her attention. Pearly continued sucking on the Slowpoke’s tail, ignoring the cupcake completely. “I’m not sure if I’ve ever head of a Shellder letting go on its own,” she said. “All stories of a Slowbro devolving involve the Shellder or tail being broken off. And I’m not cruel enough to hurt this poor thing.” She sighed in defeat.

“I might as well make the most of this trip,” she fished into her purse for more money. “I’ll take a slice of Pumpkaboo Pie with a glass of milk. And Slowbro will have,” she looked down at her new companion. “I don’t even know what he’d like. Naota, could you be a dear and ask for me?”

“Of course,” Naota said with a smile. “Hey there Slowbro, what would you like to eat?” he asked, bending over. “We have lots of yummy food here.”

“…” silence, then, “Slow, …, bro.”

“Riceballs? Good choice. Our riceballs are super delicious. I’ll get started right away.” He placed the pie on a plate and placed it on the counter, then poured Ms. Reál a glass of milk. The riceballs came next, but they were easy enough. He rolled some white rice into triangles, made sure the fillings were delicious and generous, and wrapped it all in seaweed to serve to Slowbro.

“… Slow- bro,” he nodded in approval as he chewed on a riceball.

Naota helped the old lady carry her food to her table. Slowbro popped the riceballs into his mouth and chewed slowly, but he took the time to pull out her seat for her. “Thank you Naota, thank you Slowbro,” she said.

“Sylvi, your order is ready,” Ava announced. She and Roserade brought the orders to Sylvi’s table, where her team eagerly dug in, cheering with glee as they consumed the Café’s masterpieces. Ms. Reál smiled sadly as she watched.

“Some people have such large teams. They go out and catch lots of new Pokémon and bond with them all. I’ve never had anyone besides Pearly, now I’ve got this new Pokémon in my life. I can’t blame it for what happened, maybe I should have paid more attention to Pearly, but it’s so strange knowing that my Pearly is right there, unable to speak or react to me. She hasn’t said a word.” Pearly stared up in silence, not making a sound.

Sylvi smiled as she bit into one of the sandwiches. She offered some to the rest of the team, but they were all engrossed in their own meals, Sylvi having ordered exactly the food they loved. Marowak dug into their Loco Moco, Absol and Munna devoured their pizzas, Shinx happily nommed on the waffles, Eevee had the combo plate, and Smeargle slurped up the curry.

Sylvi smiled as she wiped away the gravy dripping down Marowak’s chin.

“At least we know she’s happy. She seems to enjoy where she is, otherwise she’d try to let go and we could pull her right off. This must be by choice,” said Naota. “It may not be an ideal situation for us, but we should be happy for Pearly, right?”

“You’re right,” she sighed, “but it’s so hard. With a Magneton or Dugtrio at least I’d still see my Pokémon as an individual part of a whole, but my poor Pearly is being worn like an accessory. She can think but she doesn’t control their body; she’s just along for the ride. She can’t control where they go, she can’t even communicate with the Slowpoke to work as a team.”

Naota bit his lip. As he understood it, two or more minds sharing a body was best accomplished when those minds could all communicate with each other and make important decisions together, even if one mind did have more say in the matter than others. In doing so, they were able to live together in peace and harmony.

He had internet acquaintances who were plural and many of them said similar things. But while there was some overlap, this wasn’t the exact same thing. Ms. Reál was right, Pearly had no way to communicate her desires.

Sylvi looked up from her meal. “Pokémon tend to communicate with each other. I’m sure most Shellder know what to expect when they bite a Slowpoke’s tail. Obviously this isn’t something I can guarantee 100%, but it’s entirely likely Pearly knew what would happen.”

Ava looked outside the window. There weren’t any more customers coming right now, so she figured she’d be fine. “Naota, why don’t you take Ms. Reál to the lake. There are plenty of Shellder there, maybe one of them can help.”

“That sounds like a wonderful idea!”

.

The lake was about a fifteen minute walk away for most people. With her cane in hand it took Ms. Reál a little longer, but she was still able to make good time. The Pokémon in the area were mostly friendly, but Shinx remained at Naota’s side, prepared to help defend the group in the event of an emergency. Slowbro was busy keeping Ms. Reál steady and Espurr had stayed behind to help with the Café, so Shinx was their only line of defense; she proudly maintained a vigilant watch over the area.

Once at the lake, Naota simply called out to any Shellder in the area who wanted to chat. Bubbles rose up as several Shellder rose to the surface. Naota thanked them by throwing a bunch of berries into the lake. The Pokémon clamped shut, scooping as many berries as possible into their shell, and devoured them by the handful. Satisfied that he had their attention, Naota asked his question. “Hey, how many of you know what happens when a Shellder bites a Slowpoke tail?”

“Shell~der, Shell~der Shell~der.”

“Shell~Shell~der!”

“Shell! Shell~Shell!”

“I see. And you’re all okay with that?”

“Shell~der, Shell~der Shell~der.”

“Shell~Shell~der!”

“Shell! Shell~Shell!”

Naota nodded. “Of course, my bad. I shouldn’t have assumed.” Turning to Ms. Reál, he translated. “The Shellder here all say it’s pretty common knowledge. You bite a Slowpoke’s tail and you and the Slowpoke both transform. Some of them say they’d be completely okay with it, others say that it doesn’t sound like something they’d ever want to do, so they avoid Slowpoke tails, no matter how tasty they smell.”

“Shell~Shell~der!”

“But they wouldn’t ever stop a Shellder who _did_ want to bite a Slowpoke tail. Seems it’s all a matter of personal choice for them.” Naota shrugged. “That’s another point for the _‘Pearly is okay’_ column.”

“Maybe I’m just stubborn,” Ms. Reál sighed. “Maybe it’s time to accept change.”

“I have a suggestion,” said a familiar voice. Turning behind them, Naota and Ms. Reál saw Sylvi walking their way. “Forgive me for following you, but I wanted to offer my assistance. I would have said something earlier, but it only occurred to me just recently.” She held out a Poké Ball and a flash of red light shot forth, forming into her Smeargle.

“Smear!”

Sylvi held her hands behind her back. “You can talk to Pokémon, right Naota?” Naota nodded at her. “I’d completely forgotten that Smeargle recently learned to use Mind Reader. So we can have him read Pearly’s mind. Then, if he tells Naota what Pearly is thinking, Naota can translate!”

“That’s brilliant!” said Naota.

Sylvi nodded at Smeargle and the young Pokémon swung their tail around as if sketching something on an invisible canvas. Their eyes glowed white as their gaze centered on Pearly. Naota bent over to talk to the Shellder. “Hey Pearly, how are you? Ms. Reál has been worried about you and wants to know how you feel being attached to that Slowpoke’s tail.”

Smeargle waited a moment before replying. “Smear, Smear, Smear!” They relayed. “Smear.”

Naota’s mouth dropped open. Ms. Reál clutched her cane tight, her knuckles started to go white. “Oh no? Is something wrong? Is poor Pearly upset?”

Naota shook her head. “According to Smeargle, Pearly has been worried about you ever since you fell over. She has no arms and can’t help you up when you fall. She wanted you to get a new Pokémon friend to help, but she knows that taking care of a new Pokémon can be a bit challenging at times, and she doesn’t want you to have to do extra shopping. You’re already struggling to carry the bags home. She figures that if she became a Slowbro, then you’d have the assistance you need while still only having one Pokémon to take care of.”

“Smear~Smeargle!”

“And she wants you to know that she is happy living life this way. If she ever decides she doesn’t like it, she’ll find a way to do something.”

“Smeargle! Smeargle! Smeargle!”

“Huh?” Naota looked toward the Slowbro, his face full of confusion. “Pearly says there’s no need for more secrets.”

“Slow~Slow~Slow~Slowbro! Slow~Slow~Slow~Slowbro! Slow~Slow~Slow~Slowbro! Slow~Slow~Slow~Slowbro! Slow~Slow~Slow~Slowbro!”

“Oh I see,” said Naota, nodding. “Slowbro says that he’s willing to help take care of you,” he translated. “He and Pearly discussed this all beforehand. He wanted to be able to walk on two feet so Pearly said they could become a Slowbro together if he agreed to watch over Ms. Reál. He was silent back at the Café because Pearly wanted the arrangement to be a secret. He apologizes for making you worry, but he didn’t want to betray Pearly’s secret.”

Ms. Reál put her cane down as she sat on the ground, hugging both Pearly and the Slowpoke. “Thank you,” she whispered, a tear falling down her cheek.

.

Naota and Sylvi helped Ms. Reál to her feet as Slowbro bent over to grab her cane. She thanked them as she brushed the grass off her clothes. She took a few steps and nearly stumbled, but Slowbro was there to catch her. Naota offered to help her home, but Ms. Reál assured him that her partner would be enough. Still, Naota and Sylvi both kept their eyes on her as they watched her walking through the forest.

“Pokémon sure can be amazing,” said Sylvi. “I think that’s one of the things I like so much about them. They keep surprising you with how kind they are.” Sylvi paused for a moment. “Though humans can be amazingly kind too.

“I like it here. I think we might stick around for a while, although I’ll need to talk it over with some friends first,” Sylvi spoke with a hint of a mysterious smile on her lips. “I don’t think they’ll object though. We really liked those sandwiches and it would be a shame not to try more of the menu.”

“We’d be thrilled to have you all back,” said Naota.


End file.
